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Tübingen
Tübingen is a University town situated in south-west Germany, in the state of Baden Württemburg. Getting There From Europe Dublin Aer Lingus runs a Dublin Airport (DUB) – Stuttgart (STR) service four times weekly from April until October. From Stuttgart Airport, the Airport Sprinter no. 828 departs every 30 minutes from Terminal 1 of the arrivals section. Journey lasts 50 minutes, stopping throughout Tübingen, ending at the main train station (Hauptbahnhof) and bus station, which is served by all local bus lines. Cost: €12. Alternatively, * Dublin (DUB) – Munich West/Memmingen (MEM) Ryanair operates a weekly flight on Saturdays throughout the year. Prices are cheaper than to most other German airports. Train to Tübingen takes roughly 2.5 hours, with two/three transfers, depending on schedule. Costs €19. If travelling in a group of up to 5 people, the "Baden-Württemberg-Ticket" is the best option. Costs €23, with an additional €5 for each additional passenger. * Dublin (DUB) – Munich (MUC) Six flights weekly with Aer Lingus. Bus from Münich to Tübingen from €13, journey time 3.5 hours. Note also that Airbus from Munich airport to central bus station "Zentrale Omnibusbahnhof" costs €10. * Dublin (DUB) – Frankfurt (FRA) Four flights weekly with Aer Lingus. Trains from Frankfurt to Tübingen from €29 with 2/3 transfers, journey time 2.5 - 3 hours. Getting Around Bus The town is serviced by 35 bus lines. Operating times vary, but generally operate from 05:30-23:00. A reduced night service operates on Thursday to Saturday nights, with hourly buses until 03:00. Semester tickets are available Students studying at Tübingen can avail of a Semesterticket for all public transport (apart from ICE trains) in the regions of Tübingen, Reutlingen, Zollernalbkreis and Sigmaringen. The ticket costs €72.90 per semester. Cycling Tübingen is a vastly hilly town, but despite this cycling is very popular, particularly amongst the student population. Wide cycle lanes run parallel to all of the main roads and through various parks and forest areas. Note: German Road Traffic law is taken very seriously and offences can incur the following fines: * failure to use a bike path: €20 * cycling without lights (front or rear): €20 * cycling on the footpath: €10 * cycling in the wrong lane: €15 * cycling in a pedestrian zone: €15 Accommodation University Accommodation University accommodation is operated by an independent company "Studierenwerk Tübingen-Hohenheim", which also operates the cafeterias in the university. The accommodation is extremely varied in location, style and size - the company operates single buildings in the old town centre "Altstadt" as well as larger apartment complexes outside the town. The prices are quite reasonable, between €230-€350 per month for a single bedroom, depending on size and location. Full apartments are also available for couples and families. For more information see my-stuwe.de. International students are given priority for university accommodation. Studentendorf Waldhäuser Ost The student apartment complex in Waldhäuser Ost (WHO) is the biggest, with 24 buildings in total, with place for 1,720 students. It is located approx 5 km north of the main University buildings. It is very well serviced by five bus lines, running regularly from 05:30 to 00:30 Sun-Wed, and until 03:00 Thu-Sat. Located nearby (~350 m) are two supermarkets, a bakery, a fast food outlet, two banks and a police station. The apartment complex also hosts one student bar (admission only on presentation of any student ID), open nightly, with very reasonably priced drinks (beer from €1.50, cocktails from €3) and a communal room which hosts regular screenings of films/TV shows/sporting events. Private Accommodation Private accommodation in Tübingen can be hard to come by, as there is insufficient accommodation to cater for the large student population. It is still an option however, but one should be prepared to pay more than the university accommodation. Shared accommodation in a "Wohngemeinschaft" is very popular among students and young professionals in Germany, and is generally considered more homely than the university accommodation, which can be quite impersonal. Students studying in Tübingen going on exchange will often offer their rooms to let on a short term basis for one or two semesters, which can be ideal for an incoming exchange student. For rental listings see wg-gesucht.de. Shopping Supermarkets Supermarkets in Tübingen charge much the same prices as across Germany. Lidl - € - Aldi - € - Kaufland - € - Everything you could ever need. Edeka - € Organic Supermarket Alnatura - €€ Nightlife As a student town Tübingen has an exciting and varied nightlife for its size. There is usually something on every night. But don't expect world-renowned DJs or bands to play. Altstadt Amsara - €€ - Cocktail bar with good deals during happy hour (after 23:00). Wohnzimmer - €€ - Relaxed bar with mismatched vintage sofas and chairs. Staggered seating facing a large projector screen, regularly showing football (Bundesliga, Champions League, anything with Germany) when it's on, but can also be used for playing games consoles. Also has a great selection of board games. Constant but not-too-loud house music. Schwarzes Schaf - €€ Last Resort - € - Punk Üniversität Bierkeller - € - Traditional German Bierkeller with a good variety of regional beers. No music. Weekly pub quiz on Mondays. Saints and Scholars - €€ - Vaguely Irish-themed bar selling some Irish beers and Whiskeys. Does some decent food. Waldhäuser Ost Kuckuck - € - student bar open nightly until 03:00 (we think). Very cheap, very small, gets very hot and sweaty when full (most weekends). Food Fast Food X - € - Good quality, reasonably priced burgers, sausages and chips. Burgermeister - € - American style burgers. Istanbul - € - Kebabs and other Turkish delicacies. Rock and Dog - € - Hot dogs. Only hot dogs. Right on. Vegetarian Die Kichererbse - € - Family owned falafel shop. In a sandwich or on a plate with various toppings. Lentil soup. Homemade Ayran yoghurt drink. Veggie - € - Falafel in a wrap with various toppings. College Matriculation The German system of registering for college is a lot different than anything online. It requires a lot of forms and visiting a few offices. The college publishes an information pack for erasmus students on their website with detailed guidelines about matriculation. The main thing you need to know is, it is the first thing you need to do when you arrive. The college then gives you a matriculation number, which is the equivalent of a student number. All of the documents are posted to your residence, this takes about a week. This information also includes your log in details which you use for Ilias (moodle) and the internet. DAF It stands for Deutsch als Fremdsprache. This is the office for erasmus students who want to take classes to improve their German. They offer a wide range of classes, of which you can take a maximum of 3 per semester. It is best to call into the office early on to get an appointment to sign up for classes as it is first come first served ( I was late and did not get my classes as they were full). There is a price for taking the classes, but average around €5. Internet There is no free wi fi in Germany. It is extremely rare to find wi fi that does not require log in details etc. The student residences have ethernet cables, and the college has wifi in its buildings. Classes There are different types of classes and lectures in Germany. Most classes do not allow for more than 2 absences - more result in failing the class without a valid reason. The main difference is seminars (around 30 people) and vorlesungen (100 upwards). Seminars are a lot of work, so be careful with your choice. I personally would not do more than one a semester. Seminars usually require a presentation (Referat), exam (Klausur) and 12 page essay(Huasarbeit). Vorlesungen are more like general lectures, with an exam at the end. Most classes are 6 ECTS, maybe less. The ECTS are usually provided in the description online. To attend a Vorlesung, you just need to show up on the first day and continue attending. The lecturer discusses signing up for exams in class. Seminars are a bit different. It is best to email the lecturer of the seminar to ask if you can participate in the class. Exams The main difference I found was the frequent use of oral exams. I had never done an oral exam for history, as I am used to written exams. The lecturer informs you of the type of exam. It is usually 15 mins for 3 ECTS and 30 minutes for 6 ECTs. The exam periods are generally mid February and the end of July.